On The Table

Dear Church:

On this day when many of us are getting back to work (in earnest, at least) for the first time in many days, let me wish you a very happy new year. Now is the time where we get back, isn't it? Back to our normal schedules, back to our regular floorplan as we take down our holiday decorations, back to a life with less travel, shipping, and shopping.

During this anticlimactic space in our lives, and the liturgical space between Christmas and Advent, a few of us are collaborating on a series of Sunday gatherings where we look at Sacred Space. Over the next four weeks, we'll look at physics and relationships, at music and the liturgical calendar, all where we find God-- not only and always in the Big Holidays or Bright Celebrations, but in the stuff that is all around us, but which we can't see or hear: space. We hope you'll bring your thoughts and insights this Sunday, January 6 when we gather at Jammin' Java at 10am.

Mike Stavlund

P.S., You may have seen us in a very nice cover story in the December 24 issue of U.S.News and World Report, on "A Return to Tradition". The article examines several Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant faith groups that are re-embracing ancient ritual and practice in innovative ways. The reporter, Jay Tolson, and the photographer, Jim Lo Scalzo, visited us on a recent Sunday morning, and Jay took the time to talk with several of us and to get to know us a little bit. There's also a sidebar article about our community in particular, called "Mixing Jesus With Java: The Appeal of New Religious Communities". If you're visiting us for the first time because you saw the articles, welcome! Feel free to take a little time to explore the web site, and we'd love to have you join us any time we gather, whether it's for service, for worship, or just for fun.

Labels: space, USNWR